Artist Statement?

I am currently reading "The Encyclopedia of Pottery Techniques" by Peter Cosentino.  What he wrote in the introduction to the chapter on Techniques really spoke to me.  He said, "The technical side of pottery can appear somewhat daunting, even disconcerting, and it is understandable that many students with only limited experience may initially seek to disguise their lack of technical competence by making things which primarily express their "creative" energies."

I really agree with his assessment and it reflects my own sentiment.  It is for the same exact reason that I have continually refused to advance to a upper level class.  I think that I need to master my techniques and ability at the current stage -- throw better, throw thinner, throw taller, higher success rate, etc. etc. -- before I move on to more advance techniques -- alteration, advance forms, etc.  So much can be said for throwing a form well and making exactly what you intended to make as opposed to letting it happen on the wheel.

Peter Cosentino also said that "the best pieces of pottery bring out in most of us an almost overwhelming decide to touch, caress, and hold them."  I also think that this is very true and this is why I have not purchased a single piece of pottery of the Internet (you know I pretty much buy everything else off the Internet -- eBay/Amazon is my middle name!!!!).  Maybe this is the statement I fall back on when I do decide to sell my stuff -- never on the Internet?

Hmmm . . . so many things to consider . . .

Hiatus Apologies

Sorry -- I know I seemed to have disappeared for a while.  Work has been really crazy and I have been travelling almost weekly for work -- going to New York, Orlando, Atlanta, Toronto, etc.  I am still throwing and making pots but haven't had the time to take pictures and post notes.

I finally took some time to take pictures of the finished pieces last night.  Last night was a smothering, sweltering, thick night in Chicago.  The hottest day of the year so far -- official temperature was 88 degrees F for a hight but the thermometer in the car read 95.

Anyway, I've decided to try something new and made a slideshow with the pictures I've taken as opposed to the usual picture with commentaries. This time around, I am taking a Soda class and so there's not so much intricate glaze work on the surface.  Soda firing, for me, is about letting the texture on the surface of the pot interact with the fire in the kiln and the soda vapor that is introduced into the kiln when the kiln temprature hits cone 10.

Let me know what you think -- about the new method of presentation and the pots.



PS -- if you can't see the slideshow in Facebook, go here.